Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 – Preview

The time has come for the world to embrace the very best of automotive tuning and design from the land of the rising sun at Tokyo Auto Salon.Whether you’re into concept cars, exotics, insane customs, drift cars, time attack machines or even Yakuza-inspired VIP luxury sedans, TAS has it all at the Makuhari Messe. Here is a preview (or teaser if you prefer) of what’s to come from our coverage.

The Toyota FT-86 TRD concept was constantly surrounded by old and young, all keen to discover more about the replacement for one of Japan’s most influential cars ever made – the AE86. Notable tweaks include a lower stance, front and rear fascia and 18-inch blacked out wheels.

The Subaru counterpart of the FT-86 (Scion FR-S) is this BRZ, as an STi concept. The most obvious modifications were the addition of a carbon hood, roof and bigger brakes all around.

One of the few alternatives to the BRZ STi is this BRZ Prova Black Edition which definitely stood out from the pack. Everything has been tweaked even further including more aggressive aerodynamic parts and rear spoiler.

In the Honda booth, this concept coupe had everyone drooling. We’ll get more info on this potential road-car in the coming days.

Exotic aero tuners, Auto Veloce had a clean white Ferrari 458 Italia on display showcasing a complete aerodynamics package including front, sides, rear and vented front fenders. With the 458 being one of Ferraris fastest road vehicles of all time, is this overkill or just plain cool?

For the GT-R lovers, this Enkei fitted R35 took a different take with its design cues. A more aggressive front end mates to wider venturi-like front fenders and a widebody rear end.

The camber police definitely out-cambered the competition… wouldn’t you say?

The first D1 demo of the 3 day event showcased many cars including this yellow R34. More photos to come!

A nice rally-spec Subaru STi shows off with some tire smoke.

Stay tuned in the coming days for full event coverage and highlights from the biggest tuner-esk show in the world. If you could attend Tokyo Auto Salon, what would your #1 booth visit be? We want to know!